


Axe Handle

by KairosImprimatur



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-05-01 05:11:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14513277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KairosImprimatur/pseuds/KairosImprimatur
Summary: Rocket, personally, could lose a lot.





	Axe Handle

“The axe,” said Rocket suddenly, breaking the silence he had held over the past hour. He jumped to his feet, whipping his head around until he located Thor. “Where’s that axe?”

Perplexed, Thor hefted the weapon in his hand to show him, and Rocket launched himself off the ground and onto his chest. Unprepared, Thor stumbled back, trying to stay balanced and keep from hurting his small friend, even while Rocket was tearing mercilessly at his hand and wrist. “Let go,” he snarled. “Gimme it!”

“Rabbit, you can’t hold Stormbreaker by yourself,” Thor tried to explain. “The spells will allow no other to wield it.”

“Then put it down! I ain’t kiddin’ here, godman!”

The other survivors were watching, lost expressions on their tearstained faces, but Thor knelt slowly and laid Stormbreaker on the ground. Rocket hopped down to caress the twisted wooden handle with one clawed hand, breathing stertorously, and Thor understood. “It’s all that’s left of him now.”

Rocket gave his head a violent shake. “Then we gotta grow a new one, it’s my job, there’s gotta be...please…” He dug his fingers into the dirt and began spreading it over the handle.

Thor considered for a moment, then followed suit, using his hands to dig and cover up the axe. Rocket stopped when there was a thin layer over the entire weapon, so Thor did too, shaking the dirt from his hands and settling back to sit on the ground. “I will wait with you,” he told Rocket.

There was a long pause. It almost seemed that Rocket hadn’t even been listening, but finally he sighed deeply and rubbed his dirty hands over his face. “It ain’t gonna work. Can’t get a sapling from a chunk a’ wood came off him before he died, I was just bein’ crazy. You can go ‘head and take your axe back.”

Neither of them made a move to brush the dirt off of Stormbreaker. Thor met Rocket’s eyes for a moment, then bowed his head and repeated, “I will wait with you.”

**Author's Note:**

> That ending was sad enough but for some reason people like me have to keep finding ways to make it even sadder.
> 
> If you'd like to see what happens next, check out Woozletania's excellent Thor & Rocket fic [here.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14519475/chapters/33546051?show_comments=true&view_full_work=false#comment_163060716)


End file.
